Heat
It was hot out. Almost unbearably scorching hot and Dawn wanted nothing better to lie out and absorb all the heat in the world. With a cool drink of course.
"Coke for you," she heard Willow's cheerful voice somewhere above her and Dawn took the drink with a grateful smile.
"I owe you," Dawn told her and settled back into her chair.
Willow just made a noise of agreement and flopped back on her towel alongside Tara.
"Ahh, summer," Xander said as he stretched out besides Dawn and Anya followed.
"I second that." Dawn said.
"Yeah Dawnie, how does it feel to be a senior?" Willow said excitedly.
"I'll let you know when I actually get there," Dawn joked back, "Right now I'm seizing the summer."
"I remember senior year," Xander said and had a look of remembering on his face, "Scary times."
"Yeah, at least you don't have to blow up your high school," Willow told her.
"Who says I can't? It sounds like tradition," Dawn asked.
Willow froze and Dawn clarified for her, "Relax, I was doing the joking thing."
"Oh," Willow let out a nervous laugh, "I knew that."
Tara smiled and rubbed her girlfriends back reassuringly.
"I was gone at the time," Anya informed Dawn.
"Smart choice," Dawn said, closing her eyes.
"I tried to get Xander to go with me but he insisted he needed to stay and save the world and he wouldn't even give me a goodbye kiss." Anya pouted.
"I'll give you one now, minus the goodbye," Xander teased and leaned over to kiss her. Dawn sighed, wishing it were night already so she could go see Spike.
Spike.
A tingle swept through her and she grinned.
"Whatcha grinning at?" Willow asked with a smile.
Dawn shrugged, "How nice it is outside."
Willow nodded, "Feeling that." Suddenly Anya and Xander jumped up, holding hands and ran into the ocean. Willow leaned over to Tara and whispered something in her ear, and then they stood up as well.
"You coming Dawnie?" Tara asked.
Dawn shook her head, "Nah. I'm here for the tanning,"
"Okay," Tara responded and then the Wiccans raced into the water.
With a yawn, Dawn closed her eyes and drifted to sleep.
"Dawnie! Dawn!" Dawn opened her eyes groggily and tried to pinpoint the voice. Willow. As she blinked and rubbed her eyes, she noticed a heated pain ripple through her.
O shit.
"Honey, you're all burnt," Tara said sympathetically.
"Okay, time to get you home," Xander said and gently pulled Dawn up.
"Ouch," She mumbled and slowly slipped her shirt and shorts on, wincing as the coarse fabric rubbed against her skin.
"Remind me never to go outside in the sun again," she moaned as the made their way to Xander's car.
"Check, no more sun," Willow said and gently ran her hand through Dawn's hair.
As they piled into the car, Dawn felt her eyes grow heavy and closed them.
"Hey Dawnie, we're back," Tara said, prodding her gently.
"Ugh," Dawn moaned as she was assaulted with the sunburn pain.
She then noticed that the sun had finally set and remembered that she'd promised to visit Spike when she got back.
"I'm gonna stop by Spike's, he said he had something for me," Dawn told Willow who nodded hesitantly, "Okay, but be back before ten."
"Will do," Dawn told her with a nod and set off to the cemetery.
"Ow, ow ow," Dawn muttered at each step. Thankfully, the sun was down, but that didn't change the fact that her skin was sore and red. She stopped by a grave and wistfully ran a hand across the cool headstone. Nice cold, she thought dreamily. What she really wanted to do was feel that on her back. With a glance around to see nobody was watching, Dawn stripped off her top and shorts and leaned against the cool headstone.
Very nice.
With a relaxed sigh, she closed her eyes to fully enjoy the cool cement on her heated skin.
"Well that's an interesting way to greet a bloke,"
Dawn cracked an eye open to see the one and only bleached vampire standing over her.
"Ow," she groaned and closed her eyes again.
Spike frowned, "What happened to you pet?"
"Burned." Was her one word answer.
He couldn't help but let out a low chuckle at that and Dawn flicked her middle finger at him, "No laughing,"
"Sorry pet, you're as red as a tomato," he told and helped her up. As soon as he'd pulled her against him, he jumped back, "Bugger, you're hotter than hell!"
Dawn gave him a sarcastic smile, "Thanks." Then snuggled against him, "God you feel so good."
Spike could get used to this. He wrapped his arms around her and she sighed with pleasure.
"You're all nice and cold, like Coke," Dawn murmured against his chest.
"Yeah, I'm a refreshing drink all right." Spike muttered and swept her up in his arms and carried her to his crypt, "Let's get you cooled down."
"Okay Rhett Butler," Dawn teased, pressing herself closer to his body, relishing the lack of heat.
"And you're a regular Scarlet O'Hara," Spike mumbled and kicked open his crypt door and set her on his bed.
"You need anything, Advil, that sticky plant stuff?" Spike asked stripping off his duster.
"You."
"Me?" Spike asked puzzled.
"Strip," Dawn commanded and Spike did so.
"Reason I'm standing here starkers?"
"Uh-huh. Lay next to me." Dawn told him, patting the bed and Spike complied.
"This better?" Spike asked as he molded himself against her.
"Way," Dawn breathed, shrugging out of her bikini, "Very much better."
Spike gently traced the curve of her ear with his tongue and Dawn let out a soft moan, "Cold. Like cold."
"Guess we're gonna have to lick you all…over," Spike leered and Dawn felt a very tingly sensation down below.
As Spike's tongue worked its magic, all Dawn couldn't help but think:
What a lovely way to burn.